Name: Koji Hiroi Age: 17 Gender: Male Occupation: High School student Appearance: Tall, shorthair, skinny (not muscular ) Location: Japan Personality/Quirks/Unique Personality Traits: Timid, filial, patriotic Family: Father, Mother, and younger brother Education: Just had basic and simple education Languages you speak: Japanese Your main concerns at this time and in life: Poor family, he has to educate his little brother.
Journal Entry #1 1938, June 27 My name is Koji Hiroi, a 17years old boy living in Hiroshima. These days something unusual has been taking place in my country. My favorite subject at school used to be literature and math, but nowadays more emphasize is being put on other social subjects. On the street, I saw many soldiers gathering up, some tanks are being moved, and air-forces are flying around everyday. Last month, I heard our army began to attack China and was expanding our territory there. Due to our victory, our army brought many Korean and Chinese laborers. There was a guy who looked like my age. I guess he was a Korean guy because I tried to talk to him but he never responded and kept repeating the word “Chosun.” Also whenever I see him, he was always working for the army. One time, I gave him a snack and he began to talk to me. Surprisingly he actually knew how to speak Japanese. He said he was very tired because he was a Korean high school boy who was forced to become a laborer in Japan. He said he learned Japanese in Korea because all schools in Korea were teaching not in Korean but in Japanese. We talked about the war that went on between Japan and China. He told me that Korea was only the beginning for Japan and was going to win in China too because it had more developed weapons. I told him that I do not like wars but I do not want my country to lose in the war. He told me that our troops already occupied Manchu and was heading to the heart of China. I was very surprised. After I knew the fact that our army is heading deep into China, I was a little bit worried about our army. At school, teachers began to say many good things about the war and even taught us how to fight in war and use the weapons like guns and swords. After a week, my teacher even once called my name and told me to join the army in order to go to war and fight for my country. However, at that time, I was so scared about going to war. The teacher said he was only joking, but I was both shameful that I could not say yes and worried what would happen if I actually went to war when I was not sure Japan would win the war or not.
Journal Entry #2 1941, Dec 12 On my way to school, I could hear people shouting, “banzai!” gathered around a small radio broadcasting Japan’s successful attack against the U.S. ships. Surprisingly, I caught a name familiar to me from the radio, the name of the Imperial Army soldier, whom I accidentally met few years ago during the army parade. Admiring soldiers, I approached him, and he kindly would tell me stories about the life in the army, showing me guns he was carrying. He gave me a lucky symbol where his name was engraved as a present. Remembering him, I also shouted out “banzai!” along with the people gathered around the radio and the flag of the Imperial Army. People all came out to the street holding the flag and I felt as if my country already won the war and thought the East-Asia Co-prosperity Zone that I learned a lot about at school would soon become real. My friends all said the U.S. was the strongest country in the world. I said I agreed with them, but I used to talk to myself that my Japan was not so weak. Finally, I realized my belief was correct. My Japan was not so weak as my friends used to think. At school, the teachers once more emphasized the great work done by the Imperial Army, and that Japan will soon control the whole of Asia to protect it from the Westerners. Some of my friends told our teacher that they would like to volunteer for the army, saying that they also want to be like the soldiers that bombed the Americans. Our teacher looked very happy that so many of his students became patriotic citizens ready to fight for Japan’s Emperor. I also wanted to raise my hand to say that I also wanted to volunteer, but I still did not have the courage to do so. But I promised to myself that I have the chance, I will also try to become like the Imperial soldier who gave me the lucky symbol as a present. Teacher taught us that Japan was also on its way to the Philippines, and made sure that when we take the Philippines, the Americans will feel hopeless about the war. Our teacher stressed that first it was Korea, a country that we learned once was a part of Japan long time ago anyway, then it was China, and now it was the rest of Asia. Paying close attention to our teacher, we all became excited of the future news.
Jornal Entry #3
1942, July 29
I wrote a letter to my close friend names Shinichi Oksa, who used to live in Hiroshima for a short while. All the time, I worried about him because he always had a pale face, also he is very skinny. One day, there was a letter from Shinichi about the war. He, a soldier for the Imperial Army himself, was asking my opinions about the war. I replied him that I think Japan is fine because Japan did not do anything wrong. I added that it was the Americans who caused this war and killed many Japanese, just as I learned in school. However, Shinichi said that he had a quite different idea from mine. He told me he was recently feeling much more guilt about waging war in many different places and that both America and Japan may have faults about the war. I was not able to understand why he was saying such nonsense. He also asked me about how the war is going on fronts other than those that he has been to. I told him about the war what I heard from the radio, which is not acceptable for me. I told him that we began to lose most of the battles in the Pacific, but I still did not forget to add that there is hope that Japan will win this war. When I got Shinichi’s letter, I recognized that it took more than 2 weeks for his letter to get all the way to Hiroshima. I was able to guess how chaotic the war fronts were. While I was reading his letter, I found a sentence that made me upset and wonder whether he was truly my fellow Japanese friend. He said that “It is very disgraceful for the country” for what the soldiers have been doing to the people of Japanese colony under the name of the Emperor. As a Japanese student, we, together, learned that Japan is the greatest country when we were young. However, he surprisingly mentioned the word “disgraceful.” His letter got me even more confused about the righteousness of this war. I would not like to admit it, but Shinichi may not be wrong after all.
Journal Entry #4
1945, Aug 7
This week, something terrible was happened. There was a strong flash in the morning so that I was not able to open my eyes, also I heard the big noise. I was so scared whether some kinds of bomb exploded. With no surprise, many buildings either gone or destroyed. Also, there were piles of dead bodies were lying on the street and many little kids were crying out for their parents. For a moment, I was not able to accept that reality that I was seeing. However, I soon realized that it was the Americans who dropped the bomb and made my hometown a mass. From my side, they were asking for my help so I went to help them out by carrying the injured people. Soon, I became very nervous, because my family came up on my mind. While I was looking for my family after I gave my help to others, one woman grabbed my left arm. She embraced me and said to return home with her, but I gave her a strange look because I did not know who she was. At first I thought she was my mom, but she was not. I have told her that I am not her son million times, but she did not face the fact that I was not her son. It was heartbreaking to hear her crying out in front of me. I left her behind and moved on to find my family. When I got to the place where used to be my home, nothing was there. I was bemused and I could not think of anything. Soon, extreme rage overwhelmed me because I thought how my school taught me that the USA caused this war against my country. I believed that the Americans took my family away from me, however, I suddenly had an idea that teachers gave me a wrong knowledge about glorifying Japan's war against other countries. Even though it was who killed fellow Japanese citizens, it was actually my country that bombed Peral Harbor to anger the Americans to participate in this war. After all both Japan and the USA had faults. Even though I do not know where my family is, I am going to look for them.
Name: Koji Hiroi
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Occupation: High School student
Appearance: Tall, shorthair, skinny (not muscular )
Location: Japan
Personality/Quirks/Unique Personality Traits: Timid, filial, patriotic
Family: Father, Mother, and younger brother
Education: Just had basic and simple education
Languages you speak: Japanese
Your main concerns at this time and in life: Poor family, he has to educate his little brother.
Journal Entry #1
1938, June 27
My name is Koji Hiroi, a 17years old boy living in Hiroshima. These days something unusual has been taking place in my country. My favorite subject at school used to be literature and math, but nowadays more emphasize is being put on other social subjects. On the street, I saw many soldiers gathering up, some tanks are being moved, and air-forces are flying around everyday. Last month, I heard our army began to attack China and was expanding our territory there. Due to our victory, our army brought many Korean and Chinese laborers. There was a guy who looked like my age. I guess he was a Korean guy because I tried to talk to him but he never responded and kept repeating the word “Chosun.” Also whenever I see him, he was always working for the army. One time, I gave him a snack and he began to talk to me. Surprisingly he actually knew how to speak Japanese. He said he was very tired because he was a Korean high school boy who was forced to become a laborer in Japan. He said he learned Japanese in Korea because all schools in Korea were teaching not in Korean but in Japanese. We talked about the war that went on between Japan and China. He told me that Korea was only the beginning for Japan and was going to win in China too because it had more developed weapons. I told him that I do not like wars but I do not want my country to lose in the war. He told me that our troops already occupied Manchu and was heading to the heart of China. I was very surprised. After I knew the fact that our army is heading deep into China, I was a little bit worried about our army. At school, teachers began to say many good things about the war and even taught us how to fight in war and use the weapons like guns and swords. After a week, my teacher even once called my name and told me to join the army in order to go to war and fight for my country. However, at that time, I was so scared about going to war. The teacher said he was only joking, but I was both shameful that I could not say yes and worried what would happen if I actually went to war when I was not sure Japan would win the war or not.
Journal Entry #2
1941, Dec 12
On my way to school, I could hear people shouting, “banzai!” gathered around a small radio broadcasting Japan’s successful attack against the U.S. ships. Surprisingly, I caught a name familiar to me from the radio, the name of the Imperial Army soldier, whom I accidentally met few years ago during the army parade. Admiring soldiers, I approached him, and he kindly would tell me stories about the life in the army, showing me guns he was carrying. He gave me a lucky symbol where his name was engraved as a present. Remembering him, I also shouted out “banzai!” along with the people gathered around the radio and the flag of the Imperial Army. People all came out to the street holding the flag and I felt as if my country already won the war and thought the East-Asia Co-prosperity Zone that I learned a lot about at school would soon become real. My friends all said the U.S. was the strongest country in the world. I said I agreed with them, but I used to talk to myself that my Japan was not so weak. Finally, I realized my belief was correct. My Japan was not so weak as my friends used to think. At school, the teachers once more emphasized the great work done by the Imperial Army, and that Japan will soon control the whole of Asia to protect it from the Westerners. Some of my friends told our teacher that they would like to volunteer for the army, saying that they also want to be like the soldiers that bombed the Americans. Our teacher looked very happy that so many of his students became patriotic citizens ready to fight for Japan’s Emperor. I also wanted to raise my hand to say that I also wanted to volunteer, but I still did not have the courage to do so. But I promised to myself that I have the chance, I will also try to become like the Imperial soldier who gave me the lucky symbol as a present. Teacher taught us that Japan was also on its way to the Philippines, and made sure that when we take the Philippines, the Americans will feel hopeless about the war. Our teacher stressed that first it was Korea, a country that we learned once was a part of Japan long time ago anyway, then it was China, and now it was the rest of Asia. Paying close attention to our teacher, we all became excited of the future news.
Jornal Entry #3
1942, July 29
I wrote a letter to my close friend names Shinichi Oksa, who used to live in Hiroshima for a short while. All the time, I worried about him because he always had a pale face, also he is very skinny. One day, there was a letter from Shinichi about the war. He, a soldier for the Imperial Army himself, was asking my opinions about the war. I replied him that I think Japan is fine because Japan did not do anything wrong. I added that it was the Americans who caused this war and killed many Japanese, just as I learned in school. However, Shinichi said that he had a quite different idea from mine. He told me he was recently feeling much more guilt about waging war in many different places and that both America and Japan may have faults about the war. I was not able to understand why he was saying such nonsense. He also asked me about how the war is going on fronts other than those that he has been to. I told him about the war what I heard from the radio, which is not acceptable for me. I told him that we began to lose most of the battles in the Pacific, but I still did not forget to add that there is hope that Japan will win this war. When I got Shinichi’s letter, I recognized that it took more than 2 weeks for his letter to get all the way to Hiroshima. I was able to guess how chaotic the war fronts were. While I was reading his letter, I found a sentence that made me upset and wonder whether he was truly my fellow Japanese friend. He said that “It is very disgraceful for the country” for what the soldiers have been doing to the people of Japanese colony under the name of the Emperor. As a Japanese student, we, together, learned that Japan is the greatest country when we were young. However, he surprisingly mentioned the word “disgraceful.” His letter got me even more confused about the righteousness of this war. I would not like to admit it, but Shinichi may not be wrong after all.
Journal Entry #4
1945, Aug 7
This week, something terrible was happened. There was a strong flash in the morning so that I was not able to open my eyes, also I heard the big noise. I was so scared whether some kinds of bomb exploded. With no surprise, many buildings either gone or destroyed. Also, there were piles of dead bodies were lying on the street and many little kids were crying out for their parents. For a moment, I was not able to accept that reality that I was seeing. However, I soon realized that it was the Americans who dropped the bomb and made my hometown a mass. From my side, they were asking for my help so I went to help them out by carrying the injured people. Soon, I became very nervous, because my family came up on my mind. While I was looking for my family after I gave my help to others, one woman grabbed my left arm. She embraced me and said to return home with her, but I gave her a strange look because I did not know who she was. At first I thought she was my mom, but she was not. I have told her that I am not her son million times, but she did not face the fact that I was not her son. It was heartbreaking to hear her crying out in front of me. I left her behind and moved on to find my family. When I got to the place where used to be my home, nothing was there. I was bemused and I could not think of anything. Soon, extreme rage overwhelmed me because I thought how my school taught me that the USA caused this war against my country. I believed that the Americans took my family away from me, however, I suddenly had an idea that teachers gave me a wrong knowledge about glorifying Japan's war against other countries. Even though it was who killed fellow Japanese citizens, it was actually my country that bombed Peral Harbor to anger the Americans to participate in this war. After all both Japan and the USA had faults. Even though I do not know where my family is, I am going to look for them.